Every week, Bramptonist rounds up the interesting items on upcoming city council and committee meetings, so you don’t have to page through huge (and, if we’re being honest, tedious) PDFs and to make it easier for you to be a well-informed resident.

All meetings are open to the public (aside from items which are specifically marked as closed). Due to council chamber renovations, meetings are mostly occurring in Boardroom WT-2C/D in the West Tower.

Inaugural Council Meeting

December 3, 8:00 p.m.Rose Theatre

The first official council meeting of the 2018-2022 term of council. This meeting is more ceremonial then anything else, welcoming the new council to term and an invitation to the public to attend a reception.

Committee of Adjustment

December 4, 9:00 a.m.Boardroom WT-2C/D, West Tower

CoA is a committee comprised of staff members and residents, not elected officials. This committee handles minor zoning adjustments for new developments, as well as new businesses in existing developments. Minor adjustments may including: adjusting the zoning to allows for compatible but not allowed uses, reducing parking minimums, and minor height and setback adjustments.

Adjustments this week

Most of the adjustments in this week’s report is for very minor and trivial issues, from bigger setbacks, driveway widenings and the splitting of lots.

The only adjustment that could be considered “major” this week is an application at 7 McMurchy Avenue North to partially convert the existing use into an office, retail, and personal service shop, while also allowing for a residential component for more than one person.

Special Council Meeting

A special council may be called at any time to discuss items urgently. This meeting will serve as the first council meeting where actual matters will be discussed.

Appointment of an Additional Regional Councilor and a Replacement

One of the most important matters on this council agenda is to appoint an additional regional councilor (page 4), as well as a temporary replacement (page 8) if any regional councilor cannot make a regional council or committee meeting.

Brampton has seven members on Region of Peel council. The mayor and five councilors are directly elected to that level. The seventh member is chosen from the five city councilors. The method of election is through a ranked ballot.

In the case that a regional councilor cannot make a meeting, a designated city councilor is expected to take their place. This alternate is determined through a ranked ballot.

Council Governance – Committee Structure

This report outlines the proposed committees that will meet during the 2018-2022 term of council (page 14).

Five existing committees are proposed not to meet during this term for various reasons such as mandates being met to not meeting that often. They are: Transit Council of Chairs, Inclusion and Equity Committee, Brampton Community Safety Advisory Committee, Taxicab Advisory Committee, and Council Compensation Committee.

Committee of Council

December 5, 9:30 a.m.Boardroom WT-2C/D, West Tower

CoC is attended by all members of council, except the mayor (though the mayor is permitted to be a member at this committee). This committee hears new reports from all areas of the city, as well as issues from the advisory committees. This is the confirming step before final council meeting approval.

Delegations

Randy Neilson, the pastor at North Bramalea Church, is asking for an exemption to certain development charges (page 9) to ensure their affordable housing development at Bramalea and Inspire is developed.

Kevin Montgomery will be giving a presentation on Bikeport (page 13) and how the city can support cycling as a transportation option.

Vikas Kohli and Lauren Pires of MonstrARTity will be thanking council for support of their festival (page 24).

Community Grants 2019

Because of the way that the budget process will fall this year, the economic development department is asking special permission to be pre-approve the 2019 Community Grants budget before the full budget is approved at the end of March (page 25).

This will allow the program to open on December 13 and for the deadline to expire on January 31, 2019. Funding recommendations will be made to council in February. The budget for the program remains the same at $967,000.

Cannabis Retail Stores in Brampton

A presentation (page 28) and report (page 44) is available on this item. City staff recommends that the Brampton “opt in” to the province’s private retail model for cannabis sales and to ensure that Brampton receives its share of funding from the province. The city is required to make a decision by January 22, 2019. According to community engagement, 54 per cent of the city supports this model.

Community Services User Fees

A public meeting has been called to discuss the raising of user fees around many departments (page 67). For the public, the biggest concern will be rising fees for recreation programs. The fees, if approved by December 12, will be in place for January 1.

2019-2020 Budget Process

Due to the election, the city’s budget process for the 2019-2020 operating year will take place later than usual (page 143). The initial budget will be available to the public on February 18. Final budget approval will be on March 27.

Cricket Fields

A budget amendment is requested to build a new, all-grass cricket pitch at the Dixie/407 Park and for lighting and irrigation to be added to Teramoto Park (page 206). Both of these project will come out of city reserves.